Ahhh, summertime. It just doesn’t get any better, right? Summer means the chance to relax, rejuvenate, and reflect. But if we’re honest, for most of us, it also means prepping for next year. So how do you find the balance between improving your classroom strategies and still having a life?
These are our suggestions.
First, take a little time off. The end of the year is exhausting. Not only do you have tests to prepare for, students with amped-up energy, but then you have to pack up your classroom, data to go over, parties to host. So kick back and relax. Take a trip. Binge-watch an entire Netflix series. Whether your rejuvenation is two days or two weeks is up to you. Do what you need, and don’t get distracted by what someone else is doing.
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When you’re ready to start thinking about next school year, start with a few reflection questions. You may already know of a few things you’re planning to improve but they’ll make you think of things you would have overlooked.
Once you’ve had the chance to contemplate your strengths and weaknesses, select just one thing to focus on. Maybe you want to work on building relationships with each student. Perhaps your vocabulary strategies were really lacking and it showed on tests and quizzes. Maybe you want to host more parent nights, revamp an entire unit, incorporate writing more often, create even better lab assignments… or maybe you’re teaching a brand new course/grade level and you feel like you’re starting from scratch.
Whatever your new goal is, begin with a schedule. Figure out how time-intensive your task will be and how you’ll approach it. Do you want to spend an entire week working 8-hour days to get it accomplished? Or would you rather spread it out and spend an hour every day for several weeks? Figuring out which type of schedule works best for you is so important. If you’re working in a way that just ways you down, your work won’t be top notch.
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Once you’ve got your scheduled laid out, it’s necessary to keep the right frame of mind as you’re working on it. Try to find some enjoyment out of your task. Remember why you’re doing it (the kids!) and think about how much easier it will make next school year. Play your favorite music in the background and then set up some type of reward once you’re done for the day, week or month. It could be something as simple as an afternoon at the Target Dollar Spot or as extensive as a weekend getaway!
Once your first task is complete, add another one to your list if you feel up for it ?
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LearnEd Notebooks provides teachers and students with an innovative notebooking solution. We specialize in providing educators with a unique curriculum that allows you to break free from conventional methods of instruction and spend more time on labs and inquiry-based science. We provide the framework of an interactive notebook with the flexibility of teaching strategies that seamlessly integrate with each teacher’s own methods of instruction. Our complete programs include printed student notebooks, digital presentations, and access to teacher resources — each focusing on diverse learning styles and engaging instructional strategies.
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